Charleston Hughes has 99 CFL sacks to his credit, having taken down 28 different quarterbacks, from Burris to Calvillo to Printers to Ray, during a magical football career.

How he’d love to put Dan LeFevour’s name next to No. 100.

“It’ll mean a lot,” said the veteran Calgary Stampeders defensive end. “That’s what you play this game for. You play to break records and win games. To get 100 sacks would be a great achievement.”

Hughes is currently tied with Will Johnson at 99 career sacks, the top of the Stampeders heap. He gets one more opportunity to add to that regular-season total on Friday night when LeFevour and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers come to McMahon Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN/News Talk 770). Quarterback LeFevour is starting for the Bombers in place of the injured Matt Nichols.

“I really don’t know what to expect,” Hughes insisted. “I know he’s a scrambling quarterback. I know he’s from Central Michigan. I know he’s from my neck of the woods. When it comes to football, I know he had a lot of success in college. I know he’s a capable guy to come in and make plays.”

As well as the century mark, there is still the title of 2017 sackmaster up for grabs. One of those in the running is teammate Micah Johnson, who has nine sacks to Hughes’ league-leading 11. To have his linemate up there with him is pretty great for Hughes.

“It means a lot,” Hughes said. “Micah’s not pushing me — I’m pushing him. So I hope he hits double-digits. I hope he makes all the plays that come his way. If we go first and second in sacks in this league, it would be a great accomplishment for the both of us. We’re both paid to sack quarterbacks and make plays, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

Although the Stamps know they will host the West Division final on Nov. 19, righting the ship that has been listing these past two weeks is still the No. 1 goal heading into a bye-week.

“As long as we go into the playoffs with the win, that’s the most important thing,” said Hughes. “Just for momentum, for confidence … a lot of reasons that we have to win this game.”

RED & WHITE ROSTER SHUFFLE

There are a few roster changes for this game, with some regular starters out nursing nicks. In the defensive backfield, Brandon Smith and Ciante Evans won’t play, which gives a guy like Patrick Levels an opportunity — his second start, in fact — to prove he belongs as he subs at the corner for the latter.

His first start was in Ottawa back on June 23.

“This will be my first home game in front of the crowd,” the 23-year-old Texan indicated. “The biggest thing I’ve been thinking about is this is the first time playing in the snow. So I want to make sure my technique, and my reads are fast so that I can play fast in the snow.”

Levels knows head coach Dave Dickenson doesn’t want to see a drop-off in performance with the young guys in there, and he’s prepared for the challenge.

“I hopped in during the season, when guys were nicked up, and I think that’s harder to do, hop into the middle of the game when you haven’t got the flow for it,” Levels said. “So getting a start, you get a feel for how the game’s going, what are they trying to do, how they’re trying to attack us as a defence … As far as pressure goes, you go out and play a game. You don’t think about messing up. You want to play a perfect game, but that’s almost impossible to do. But you go out with that mindset.

“The new guys have to go out and play just like the starters. Everybody who’s been waiting all season has to show what you can do, so they can evaluate you for next year, if you fit in or if you don’t. You have to put your best foot forward.”

SNOW BOWL EXPECTED

That foot may be doing a little slipping on Friday night, if the forecast holds true. More snow and frigid temperatures should make for an eventful game, and it was a big topic of conversation after Thursday’s walkthrough.

“I don’t want to give away my plan,” said Dickenson. “But I like throwing the ball in the snow. Receivers know where they’re going — defensive backs don’t. I’ve always thought snow wasn’t a negative thing, as long as it’s not that wet snow that is causing ball security issues. I don’t have any problems with the passing game in snow.

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.